


You can’t always expect me to fix things for you

by catmac



Series: Prompts [1]
Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Implied Drug Abuse, Language, M/M, set when dennis is in college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 04:12:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13115766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catmac/pseuds/catmac
Summary: Part of tumblr prompts ficlet collection. Mac gets into trouble and hopes Dennis will save his ass.





	You can’t always expect me to fix things for you

The weather is cold just as expected from November but there is no snow on the ground; only a thick layer of frost that doesn’t get the chance to melt even when the sun comes out. Mac is shivering, his body is tensed and nervous but the freezing air is only partly to blame. He has been waiting here for a while, in the dark alley not too far from where his house is. His old jacket is torn at places so he needs to wrap his arms around the thin broken fabric and his body as tight as possible to calm himself down and warm up. The chances that things are going to escalate for him and possibly end very bad are skyrocketing with every passing minute.  _Where is he?_  Every unsettled glance he directs towards the main street makes his stomach drop.

It takes a couple of more minutes until a shadow of a slender figure appears in between the dirty brick walls. Mac doesn’t have the energy to smile but the warmth of the security and happiness the sight brings, floods all over him and the night doesn’t seem as icy anymore. Dennis walks against him but the glow leaves Mac the moment he spots his face in the dim blinking streetlights. He opens his mouth to greet his friend but gets interrupted before the words even leave his lips.

“Before you start,” Dennis takes his hand out of his pocket making sure his interruption is understood, “I only came here to tell you I won’t do it.” His fingers quickly hide back to the fabric of his nice woollen coat, it’s dark grey and seems cosy and expensive.

“ _Oh_ ,” Mac assumes that it is a game Reynolds likes to play. Oh, he likes to feel so important that Mac feels like punching his face instead of trying to convince him to loan him money but he is really not in the position to do that right now.

“Dude, c'mon my dad got busted! He’s in jail! Like for real and he’s not getting out anytime soon,” Mac whines his heart aches that this is not the first time he has to deal with this and part of him simply hates himself for not getting used to it a long time ago.

“I don’t give a shit Mac. Your good for nothing father is in jail because he deserves to be there. I am in Penn, you understand that right? University? This is my future I am not going to be fucking up what I worked for only for  ~~you~~  your family.”

Mac licks his lips and regrets it immediately because the cold air feels sharp and burning on his skin. His shoulders drop and the oversized jacket hangs on his body lose and dirty. It has been a while since he looked this pathetic but he doesn’t care. The familiar feeling of anger takes over him, it makes him feel so powerful. He can stand up for himself too, he doesn’t need this skinny bitch telling him how his family sucks. It’s not like they are better.

“How about you stopped being such an entitled little shit Dennis? I was supplying you with whatever bullshit you asked for since high school and you know it. You never talked to the  _bad crowd_  it was ME who went under the bridge and get you whatever stupid pill you couldn’t steal from your mother so stop acting like you are above this.”

Dennis raises his chin and stands tall. Mac knows his words are getting to him but even if that is the case Dennis’ face doesn’t show it. It rarely does. He is the master pretender.

“Well, that’s over for me. I’m gonna be a veterinarian.”

Mac corners him. He steps closer and even though there is plenty of space in the alley behind Dennis’ back he doesn’t flinch. They are close, equally tall but Mac has nothing to lose, his eyes look hopeless and dangerous, like an animal a moment before it lashes out.

“Listen, if I don’t pay those dudes they will murder me and not metaphorically murder me like your stupid exams are ’ _murdering_ ’ you but literally when I will be dead..” his voice cracks at the end of the sentence because finally he voices a thought which has been bothering him since the moment Luther got his hands in handcuffs.

Dennis’ facial expression stays stoic or at least that’s what he wants Mac to think. It works. Mac is too caught up in his own emotional turmoil to notice the small sign of softness which spreads across Dennis’ features. “ **You can’t always expect me to fix things for you.** ”

It is not a promise but in Reynolds talk that is enough. Mac steps forward and wraps his arm around the fancy coat pushing Dennis hard against him. “Dude. DUDE! I know it’s a lot, I will pay you back. I know…”

But Dennis doesn’t listen anymore. All his dreams are fading away because the satisfaction Mac’s thankfulness is giving him surpasses the good grades or any future plans he convinced himself he cares for. Suddenly he barely remembers what are the names of his classmates, roommates and he realizes that he misses Philly. Mac needs him, that idiot will die of starvation in dirty clothes if he stays there any longer. It is truly the most noble act of philanthropy when Dennis doesn’t care to pass his next exam.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send me prompt at milksteaksandghouls.tumblr.com <3


End file.
